Chapter 349

"Fall in!"

Andrew Smith's whistle pierced the morning silence. The soldiers stood ready, their packs neatly arranged at their feet. In the small railway station square, he quickly counted heads.

"Board the train!"

He cast one last glance at the familiar city skyline. Between the towering buildings, he could almost see the figures of his family and beloved waving goodbye. Unbeknownst to him, the very next day after his departure, Luna White would embark on the same journey.

When Luna arrived in the province, night had already fallen. She hurriedly followed her unit to transfer to another train. Under the searchlights, the steel behemoth lay quietly on the tracks, waiting to carry them to the front.

"Move! Faster!"

The commander's shouts echoed across the platform. Luna watched as military trucks slowly rolled onto wide steel plates, secured firmly with thick cables. Artillery and supplies were carefully loaded.

"Medical team, this way!"

Luna followed her teammates into the sweltering train car. Under the harsh lights, she heard the splash of water—workers were spraying the roof with hoses to cool it down.

"It's unbearable..."

Her white coat was already soaked with sweat. Though she had mentally prepared herself, the southern humidity was more oppressive than she'd expected.

Two large metal buckets filled with ice stood by the door, white mist curling from them, but doing little to relieve the stifling heat. Straw mats covered the floor, where soldiers lay shoulder to shoulder.

"Dr. White, the medical team is in the last car."

She nodded and made her way through the crowded compartments, medical kit in hand. The medical car was just as hot, but the left door was slightly ajar, chained open for ventilation. Thirty female medics huddled together, encouraging one another.

The train began to move.

After what felt like an eternity, it finally stopped at a small station.

"End of the line!"

They were assigned temporary barracks. Rumor had it the advance units had already departed, leaving many rooms vacant. Luna had barely lain down when the assembly whistle startled her awake.

"Motorized advance! Prepare to move out!"

Before dawn, the convoy was ready. Luna and her fellow medics squeezed into a truck, enduring two days of rough travel before reaching the border town.

"Beyond here is the danger zone."

A nurse beside her whispered. Luna looked out the window—black telephone wires sprawled like spiderwebs across the hills, thick as barrels. In the distance, the scent of gunpowder grew stronger.